Conventionally, a game system is known that uses, in combination, a general television apparatus (first video output apparatus) and a controller (second video output apparatus) having a display section capable of outputting video which is provided separately from the television apparatus. In such a game system, for example, a first game video is displayed on the television apparatus, and a second game video different from the first game video is displayed on the display section of the controller, thereby proposing a new pleasure.
However, the above proposal does not focus on what video to display mainly or how to associate these videos with game processing upon displaying them. Therefore, the proposal does not particularly mention or suggest processing relevant to sound.
Therefore, the exemplary embodiments are to describe an information processing system and the like that can provide a new experience giving a user an acoustic effect with a highly realistic sensation, using a plurality of loudspeakers.
The above feature can be achieved by the following configurations, for example.
As an exemplary configuration, an information processing system including a predetermined information processing section and a plurality of sound output sections will be shown. The information processing system includes a positional relationship recognizing section, a sound generation section, and a sound output control section. The positional relationship recognizing section recognizes the positional relationship among the plurality of sound output sections. The sound generation section generates a sound corresponding to a sound source object present in a virtual space, based on predetermined information processing. The sound output control section causes each of the plurality of sound output sections to output the generated sound therefrom. In addition, the sound output control section determines, for each of the plurality of sound output sections, the output volume of the sound corresponding to the sound source object in accordance with the positional relationship among the plurality of sound output sections.
According to the above exemplary configuration, an experience with an enhanced realistic sensation about a sound emitted by the sound source object can be provided for a user.
The information processing system may further include a first output apparatus and an orientation detection section. The first output apparatus has: a housing; a first display section and the plurality of sound output sections, which are integrated with the housing; and a motion sensor capable of detecting the motion of the first output apparatus. The orientation detection section detects the orientation of the first output apparatus based on an output from the motion sensor. The positional relationship may recognize section recognizes the positional relationship among the plurality of sound output sections based on the detected orientation of the first output apparatus. The sound output control section may determine the output volume of each sound output section based on the positional relationship among the plurality of sound output sections recognized based on the orientation of the first output apparatus.
According to the above exemplary configuration, by a player changing the orientation of the first output apparatus having the sound output sections, it becomes possible to perform sound output with an enhanced realistic sensation, with respect to a sound emitted by the sound source object.
The information processing section may execute predetermined information processing in the state in which the axis directions in the coordinate system of the virtual space coincide with the axis directions in the coordinate system of the real space. The virtual space containing the sound source object may be displayed on the first display section. The sound output control section may set the output volume such that, the closer the sound output section is to a position in the real space corresponding to the position of the sound source object in the virtual space, the larger the output volume of the sound output section is, and such that, the farther the sound output section is from the position in the real space, the smaller the output volume of the sound output section is.
According to the above exemplary configuration, for example, when the sound source object moves in the virtual space while emitting a sound, sound output can be performed with an enhanced realistic sensation about the movement.
The information processing system may further include a second output apparatus having: a plurality of sound output sections different from the plurality of sound output sections provided on the first output apparatus; and a second display section. The sound output control section may determine the output volume of each sound output section in accordance with the positional relationship among the plurality of sound output sections of the first output apparatus and the plurality of sound output sections of the second output apparatus.
According to the above exemplary configuration, it becomes possible to perform sound output with an enhanced realistic sensation by using a first pair of loudspeakers of the first output apparatus which can be used as a game controller, and a second pair of loudspeakers of the second output apparatus which can be used as a monitor, for example. For example, the loudspeakers of the first output apparatus may be in charge of the sound output relevant to the up-down direction as seen from a player, and the loudspeakers of the second output apparatus may be in charge of the sound output relevant to the right-left direction, whereby the player can feel the presence of the virtual space, i.e., a spatial sense.
The first output apparatus may further have a headphone connection section to which a headphone can be connected. The information processing system may further include a headphone detection section configured to detect whether or not a headphone is connected to the first output apparatus. The sound output control section may, when it is detected that a headphone is connected to the first output apparatus, determine the output volume, regarding the positional relationship among the plurality of sound output sections as being a predetermined positional relationship, irrespective of the orientation of the first output apparatus.
According to the above exemplary configuration, for example, in the case where a player plays a game while wearing a headphone connected to the first output apparatus, a sound can be outputted without feeling of strangeness.
According to the exemplary embodiments, it becomes possible to perform sound output with an enhanced realistic sensation, with respect to a sound emitted by a sound source object present in a virtual space.